A KT roller coaster ride
Riot·11/17/2014, 11:41:27 PM·0 votes·5,070 views
Euphoria. KT Rolster Arrows had completed one of the biggest upsets in Champions history, knocking off defending champions Samsung Blue in a heated five game series. Despair. The Arrows failed to make it through the Korean Regionals to Worlds. What followed was the organization's two most prized players Rookie and KaKAO departing for China, leaving KT with the pieces of two fractured teams. Now with the combining of the Arrows and Bullets due to the single team per organization rule, will a player rise from the ranks or will a free agent set the roller coaster back on its course?
The jungler position has been a point of pride for KT through the past two years, and the question now is if the organization truly believes Prime can fill the shoes of two legends. Jungle has always been a feast or famine position in Korea. Either it produces some of the best talent in the world, or teams are left putting players in the jungler who aren’t comfortable in the role. With the exodus two of top jungle talents Dandy and KaKAO, setting their sights on China, the most desirable free agent for KT Rolster could be CJ Frost’s former jungler Swift. His play hasn’t exactly resulted in leading his team deep into the OGN playoffs, but his raw mechanical skills and potential are up to par with the best in all the world.
With the memories of inSec and Kakao’s triumphs still lingering in KT fans minds, the decision on sticking with Prime or looking at a Swift or another former CJ jungler, Daydream, is a big one. Whichever player they chose to fill the role will have the almost seemingly insurmountable task of being the third in KT’s lineage of legendary junglers. inSec became a legend on Lee Sin, and KaKAO captured the world’s attention with his charismatic personality -- what will the next KT jungler bring?
He has not lived up to the hype since, going from a 34-22 record with Sword to 3-9 now on KT. KT don’t have too many high profile options to choose from if they want to get another mid laner, with Rookie already departing and Dade reportedly in talks with Chinese teams. With Huya, IM and Xenics all fighting for two spots in Champions next week, at least one of those team’s mid laners will be on the outside looking in. A pick-up of Kur0 (Huya), Frozen (IM), or Raphael (Xenics) would be a smart pickup to solidify their mid position.
For now Nagne’s spot seems safe, more so than Prime’s in the jungle, but the cutting of sixteen teams to eight in Champions has set a single precedence -- only the cream of the crop can survive as starters in the new Korean scene. KT have a semblance of a competent roster, but will surely miss Rookie and KaKAO in the coming year. The organization that finished 2014 atop of Champions will need to climb from the bottom once more in 2015.
The Roster
KT Rolster Bullets Top: Gimgoon, Limit -> left Jng: Prime Mid: Nagne ADC: Score Sup: Destiny KT Rolster Arrows Top: Ssumday Jng: KaKAO -> left Mid: Rookie -> left ADC: Arrow Sup: HachaniThe Lineage of KT’s Jungle
When you dissect KT’s combined roster, the biggest glaring hole comes from their former stomping ground: the jungle. Since their creation over two years ago, KT has produced two of the best and most popular junglers in all the world, Worlds runner-up inSec and former Arrows captain KaKAO. Prime, who is the only jungler left on the team, has struggled mightily during his first few games with KT. He got outclassed by Watch in the Korean Regionals and holding onto a lowly 1.0 KDA so far in his stint on Rolster.
The jungler position has been a point of pride for KT through the past two years, and the question now is if the organization truly believes Prime can fill the shoes of two legends. Jungle has always been a feast or famine position in Korea. Either it produces some of the best talent in the world, or teams are left putting players in the jungler who aren’t comfortable in the role. With the exodus two of top jungle talents Dandy and KaKAO, setting their sights on China, the most desirable free agent for KT Rolster could be CJ Frost’s former jungler Swift. His play hasn’t exactly resulted in leading his team deep into the OGN playoffs, but his raw mechanical skills and potential are up to par with the best in all the world.
With the memories of inSec and Kakao’s triumphs still lingering in KT fans minds, the decision on sticking with Prime or looking at a Swift or another former CJ jungler, Daydream, is a big one. Whichever player they chose to fill the role will have the almost seemingly insurmountable task of being the third in KT’s lineage of legendary junglers. inSec became a legend on Lee Sin, and KaKAO captured the world’s attention with his charismatic personality -- what will the next KT jungler bring?
The Nagne Conundrum
While KT seems respectable in the top lane and set in the bottom lane with Arrow/Hachani and Score/Arrow, what about the mid lane? Nagne, most remembered for going tit for tat fights with Faker during the 2013 World Championships, has rode that accomplishment for the past year. He was arguably the best Gragas in the world before the champion’s re-work, leading Sword to the semifinals at Worlds that year.
He has not lived up to the hype since, going from a 34-22 record with Sword to 3-9 now on KT. KT don’t have too many high profile options to choose from if they want to get another mid laner, with Rookie already departing and Dade reportedly in talks with Chinese teams. With Huya, IM and Xenics all fighting for two spots in Champions next week, at least one of those team’s mid laners will be on the outside looking in. A pick-up of Kur0 (Huya), Frozen (IM), or Raphael (Xenics) would be a smart pickup to solidify their mid position.
For now Nagne’s spot seems safe, more so than Prime’s in the jungle, but the cutting of sixteen teams to eight in Champions has set a single precedence -- only the cream of the crop can survive as starters in the new Korean scene. KT have a semblance of a competent roster, but will surely miss Rookie and KaKAO in the coming year. The organization that finished 2014 atop of Champions will need to climb from the bottom once more in 2015.